MCC amends law, bails to be tethered

New Delhi : The Marylebone Cricket Club amended a law which will allow for a mechanism that will help tether the bails to the wickets. The steps will significantly minimise freak injuries to wicketkeepers.

In a freak accident, South Africa wicketkeeper Mark Boucher suffered on South Africa's tour to England in 2012, when he was struck in the eye by the bail while standing up to the bowling of Imran Tahir in a tour game. The damage was severe, and despite a three-hour long surgery, Boucher was forced to retire in the aftermath of the injury.

Former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim too faced a similar injury. During an Asia Cup encounter against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2000, a ball from Anil Kumble struck the batsman on the boot and rose to hit Karim on the right eye. He underwent a surgery in Chennai and treatment abroad, but that wasn't enough to prevent his career from coming to an abrupt end.

MCC has left no stone unturned in researching and redrafting the new Laws of Cricket and has done so in order to make the Laws work in a way that makes sense to players, umpires and spectators.